An Unexpeted Visitor
by Aussie Gagga
Summary: After returning from the Hamptons, Kate gets a visit from Lanie Parrish. A chat between the two leading ladies of Castle, but, of course, Caskett all the way!


A/N: Okay, this requires knowledge only of what has happened so far in Season 5. Otherwise it is spoiler free.

Also in case you didn't know – there are not mine!

The knock at the door interrupted Kate's coffee making. She glanced at her watch shaking her head slightly in disbelief. It hadn't even been ten minutes. He was supposed to go home. He was supposed to be checking on the loft and Martha. He had told her last time he went away leaving his mother at home alone, it had taken him a week to restore order.

But then, when the time came, and he dropped her off outside her apartment after returning from the Hamptons, he hadn't wanted to let her go (not that she was in any hurry to be let go). He held her hand and kissed her slowly. Mumbling about the need to stay. It was only when she reminded him that he was double parked, and Martha had been alone all weekend that he finally released her and got back into his car. And while she actually didn't want him to leave, the fact that all he had actually done was park the car and return here to her was not going to stop her teasing him mercilessly.

Kate made her way to the door, a smile on her face, a quip ready to be launched. Opening the door, however, it she came face to face with Lanie Parrish.

_Shit._

"Lanie. What are you doing here?" Kate asked pulling on the door.

Lanie just waved a bottle of red wine in the air as she breezed past Kate and into the apartment. Walking straight in to the living area, she turned and smiled broadly at her friend.

"I figured you would be back after your dirty weekend away and since I was in the area, thought a drink and girl's night would be in order." She wiggled her eyebrows happily at Kate.

Kate looked at her friend, looked at the smile on her face, the smile Kate could only classify as wicked.

"Why don't you get us some glasses," Lanie stated, "and I will get this open."

Kate plastered a (fake) smile on her face as she went into the kitchen. She took her time collecting the glasses from the cupboards, carefully rinsing them and slowly drying them to buy herself a little more time.

She had deliberately been avoiding Lanie for the past couple of months. She knew what she was like and knew there was no way she could survive an interrogation on 'her new man'. Every time Lanie had suggested dinner, drinks, a girls night or even just a cup of coffee before work Kate had managed to deflect the invite with words of work, and 'my dad' and 'I am just tired'. So far it had worked. Lanie had accepted her 'busyness'. But now she was here, complete with red wine, and a wicked smile and a determined look in her eye.

_Shit._

After pouring two generous glasses of wine Lanie settled back in the couch. Her eyes never wavering from Kate's face. Kate had chosen to sit in the chair, worried that sitting next to her on the couch would make it too easy for Lanie to poke and prod and pry and interrogate.

"So," Lanie began, scooting forward a little and placing her glass on the table, "how was the weekend?"

Kate took a deep breath, as a detective she had learned the best liars always stuck as close to the truth as possible.

"It was ..," she replied smiling (_dead bodies and murder investigations, same old, same old)_ "... lovely." (_once the murder was solved and they got do what they had planned all along_).

"What did you do?" asked Lanie, taking another sip of wine.

" Well...," said Kate, also taking a sip of wine (to collect her thoughts and present them cleanly), "we had dinner (_with a mobster we suspected of murder_), we went out to a bar (_to follow up on possible suspects_), we talked to the locals (_to help the local Police Chief out with a murder investigation_) and just sat and enjoyed the view (_while researching suspects on my laptop and talking on the phone to Ryan and Esposito who were interrogating _you_ over my new boyfriend_). You know the usual things."

Lanie smiled at Kate and Kate new that smile. She was warming up, preparing herself to let the questions fly.

"So where was it you ended up going?" she asked.

_Shit._

How was Kate going to avoid this question, you go away, you know where you go. And there is no way she can tell Lanie where she was.

"Umm... up the coast a little spot, few people know about it..." Kate trailed off.

"Does this place have a name?" enquired Lanie.

_Shit._

Kate's mind went into overdrive. She tried to remember the name of any of the little towns signposted on the way to Castle's house. And she drew a complete blank. So much for her being a great detective – her observation skills were non-existent. She pulled her lower lip into her mouth and dropped her chin. Hair covering her face, she sipped from her wine, avoiding Lanie's eyes hoping to buy time.

"Oh, please," Lanie laughed, "drop the act, Girlfriend. I know you were in the Hamptons, getting your freak on with writer boy!"

_Shit._

It took Kate a whole roll of paper towels and nearly a whole bottle of Club Soda to get the red wine out of her white shorts and the carpet and the chair on which she had been sitting. Wine had come out of her mouth, out of her nose and out of the glass, spilling everywhere. Lanie just sat and watched the cleanup operation. She didn't volunteer to help. Nor was she speaking. Kate new she was waiting for her.

"I can't believe Ryan told you," Kate said eventually, leaning back on her knees wet paper towels screwed up in her hands.

"Firstly," Lanie began "we will talk about how Ryan knows this in due course, secondly, I knew it. And thirdly, it's okay, I get why you didn't tell me, but again we will talk about that later. Now let's get back to the bit about me being right."

"How long have you known?" asked Kate.

"Since you came back from suspension"

Kate got off the floor. She walked to the sink and threw the soggy paper towels in the sink and returned the club soda to the fridge.

"Since I came back? How? What? How?" Kate was struggling to form a clear course of thought. They had been so careful. So very careful.

"Castle. And before you get that smug 'I knew it would be him that gave us away' look on your face, it was you to."

"Me?" Kate squeaked.

"Yes, you. I have known ever since the morgue visit to discuss the dead weather girl."

"But, you didn't say anything other than 'sex glow'." Kate faced showed her dislike of that conversation.

"And I was right," stated Lanie "You were all glowing because of the sex. The sex with Castle."

"But you didn't say anything," Kate persisted.

"No, you're right I didn't. Because it took me a few minutes after you left to realise the whole conversation was off."

"Because I am usually so forthcoming about my sex life," Kate said sarcastically.

"Exactly!" replied Lanie.

"What?" Kate was confused "Castle and I didn't say anything. Castle even joined in with you."

"That's right. He did. He asked about your boyfriend. He was inquisitive, he was interested, but he wasn't ..." Lanie let the sentence hang there.

"He wasn't ... what?" Kate asked.

Lanie rolled her eyes at her friend. When it came to Castle, Kate really could be oblivious about how he felt, feels, for her – years of practice, hiding her head in the sand helped, Lanie guessed.

"Jealous. He wasn't jealous. Are you weren't hiding. No covering your face with that gorgeous mane of yours. No ignoring the questions. No running away from his look, avoiding his stare. You two were looking directly at each other, talking about _your_ sex life. You were open with each other. About emotional stuff. For the first time in four years. Looking at each other like conversations like that were normal. No way, he is not the one giving you 'the glow'."

Kate grimaced. Lanie was smart, she had to give her that.

"I would, however, have thought," she continued, "as your best friend you might have thought to mention it to me. At some stage. In the last four months."

Lanies face was not quite as ecstatic as it had been moments before. Her eyes narrowed. Kate knew that look. That, I am not happy look.

"I'm sorry, Lanie. Really. But we are kinda keeping it between us. We are keeping it quite from everyone."

"Then how does Kevin Ryan know?" Lanie asked, a barely concealed accusation lacing her tone.

"He spoke to a suspect in the case that found us in the Hamptons. He told Castle that Lerner, the suspect, told him everything he knew. Made a point of stating "I think I know everything there is too know' so while I don't know for sure, I am fairly confident Lerner said something that gave us away."

Lanie laughed loudly. Kate moved to sit next to her friend on the couch.

"Javi is going to be so pissed when he figure outs everyone knows but him," Lanie smiled as she looked at her friend, "look I get you don't want Gates to find out. But shouldn't you tell people, at least your friends, so they stop investigating your love life."

"No," started Kate "If Gates finds out she will kick Castle out. I don't think he will be able to talk his way out of it. And Lanie," Kate looked at her friend, eyes bright "I really don't want him kicked out."

Lanie looked at her friend, the blush spreading over Kate's cheeks.

"I want him around all the time. I mean, like, _all the time_. Arrghg"

Kate dropped Lanie's gaze and buried her face in her hands.

"I'm pathetic. He's turned me into such a girl."

Lanie just laughed. Reaching out to remove Kate's hands from her face, holding Kate's hands in her own.

"It's okay. Its normal. You are happy! God knows, you deserve to be happy."

Kate looked up smiling.

"But honey," Lanie continued, "you need to tell Javi. We're your family. The boys will be thrilled, and they won't give you away to Gates. You need to stop hiding."

Kate knew Lanie was right. She felt so relieved now that Lanie knew. Knew she now had someone she could talk to.

A knock on the door effectively ended their conversation. Lanie turned to the sound and clapped her hands together.

"That's writer boy know isn't it?"

"Yeah, he had to go home and check up on the loft – Martha was 'home alone'."

Lanie nodded in understanding.

"Oh, please let me get," she pleaded, "I so want to see his face."

Kate waved her off. Sitting back against the cushions she stretched and sighed contentedly.

Lanie walked off to the door. Composing her face into a mask of seriousness, she opened up to the stunned face of one Richard Castle.

"Lanie," Castle startled, "I am, ... umm, I just came to see ..."

He spluttered and stammered, not able to form a cohesive sentence.

"Its O.K. Castle, come in." Kate's disembodied voice came from inside the apartment.

But as Castle stepped forward, Lanie stepped into his spot. Castle looked up at her face and saw the glint of steel in her eye. The unasked question hanging in the air.

"I, umm, just want to make her happy," he said quietly, eyes soft and pleading.

"Good," Lanie replied "because you know, between Javi, Kevin and I, they will never find your body."

"Gotta it."

"Lanie," Kate warned.

Lanie moved to one side and let Castle scurry through. He dropped his bag on the floor and moved quickly towards Kate.

"See you guys later," later Lanie called out "I'll get the door."

Lanie pulled the door closed, taking a last glance a Kate and Castle.

Kate was walking towards him, eyes bright, huge smile on her face as she opened her arms to him. Lanie couldn't see Castle but imagined his face reflected Kate's. They leaned into each others' embrace, Castle leaning toward Kate's ear. The rest of the world completely blocked out. Lanie smiled to herself as she closed the door.

:)


End file.
